Process of distilling petroleum



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ROLLIN C. OLARK AND WILLIAM F. BEEGHER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

PROCESS OF DISTILLING PETROLEUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of 'Letters Patent No. 275,589, dated April10, 1883.

- Application filed October 9, 1880. (No model.)

and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use it,

reference being had to the acconpanying drawings, which form a part ot'this specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for distillingpetroleum, the object being to' produce an apparatus of this characterwhich shall be adapted to the production of fine grades of distillatesand residua, and with the expenditure of the minimum amount ot' heat.

With this object in view our invention consists essentially in anapparatus in which the still is completely submerged in a bath ofuniformly-heated air. 4

Heretofore it has been customary to construct stills-immediately overafire-box, leavin gsome times'a large part of the upper portion 'of thesides of the still exposed to the air; at other times incasing them asfar as the top of the still, but leaving the top exposed; and stillanother mode of Construction is that of incasing them to the top ot' thestill and then throwing dirt or other nonconductor over the top of thestill; but in every ease it is neeessaryto heat the bottom ot' the stillto a very high temperature in order to sufficiently heat the top of thestill to volatilze the .material contained in the still. In ourimprovedapparatus the entire surface of the still is uniformly heated, and hencea lesser degree of heatsuffices' to carry on the distillation. Anotheradvantage resulting from the use ot' our apparatus is that the amount ofcoke remaining in the still after the distillation is comparativelysmall. Again, our apparatns is especially adapted to the production offine grades of residua. suitable for medicinal and lubricating purposes,while on the other hand the-residuum remaining in stills of the oldtypes is often burned or scorched and discolored;

The apparatus herein shown and described is one illustration of anapparatus embodying our invention; but we would have it understood thatwe do not confine ourselves to this particular construction.

In the drawings, Fignre 1- is a vertical sectional viewof a furnaeeconstrueted according to our iuvention, showing the still in elevation.Fig. 2 is a transverse seetioual view ot' Fig. 1 through the line m w.Fig.3 is a transverse sectional view ot' Fig. 1 through the line ?I luthe said drawings, A represents the furnace or heating apparatus, whichmay consist of any desired type or pattern.

B represents the still, which is Situated pref- 6 erably immediatelyover the furnace. This still B is provided with outlet-pipesband b', theformer for the escape of the volatilized products of petroleum, whilethe pipe b' is adapted to draw off the residuum which may settle at thebottom of the still. This still should be provided with theordinaryman-bole upon its top, which ot' course during the process ot'distillation is closed.

The furnaceAis placed in a room, as before stated, immediately beneaththe still. This room is connected with that containing the still by anaperture or opening, A'. Thisi'urnace-room we prefer to construct withdouble w-alls, in order to make the same a better non`- oonductor, asshown in Fig. 1.

Communicating with the room B', in which the still is placed, are fiuesC. The object of these flues or passages is to return the airfron theroom B', after it has performed its ofice and become somewhat cool, tothe furnace-room below. As shown in the drawings, these tlues areSituated in the corners of the chambers A and B'.

The apertures D (shown in Fig. 1) are simgo ply passages to theair-chanber between the inner and outer walls of the room B'.

E E and F are doors in the chamber B the two forner placed preferablyupon 'the lower sides of the room and the latter immediately over thestill.

Heretofore when it has been desired to remove the residuum from a stillit has taken a 'considerable length of time for the still, surrounded,as it has been, by brick walls, to be- Ioo come suffici'ently cool. Inthis Construction the doors E E and F may be opened, the ap erture A'closed, when there will be a complete circulation of air about the stillB,whic11 will eool it very rapidly.

Having thus described the construetion of our apparatus, its operationis as follows: The still B being' supplied with the petroleunrdesired tohe distilled the doors E E and F of the chanber B' are closed tightly,the eovering of the aperture A' removed, and the fires in the furnaee Astarted. The heated air from the fu'naee A will pass through theaperture A' and soon fill the ehanher 3'. As it becomes eool it willreturn through the fiues G G to the ehamher A where it is again heatedand again passes to the chaniherl', as before. By these means thetemperature of the room B' may he raised to any degree desired. Afterthe petroleum in the still has been heated to the desired degree anddistilled as closely as required the aperture A' nay be covered and thedoors E E and F opened, when the still B will rapidly cool and theresiduum may he removed or the still cleaned thoroughly through theman-hole before referred to.

\Ve are aware that it is not new to apply heated air to the cxposedsurfaees of retorts mounted in henehes. e are also aware that it; is notnew to apply heated air to the hottoms and sides of stills, and toprovide means for regulating the temperature of the air so applied. Wedo not therefore h'oadly claim the application of heated air to ietortsand stills to et'i'ect distillation, our invention consisting` incompletely innersing the still in a hath of air heated to a nnifortntemperature, wherehy we ohtain superior distillates and residuals andfacilitate all Operations of distilla tion.

Having thus described the Construction and operation of our device forcarrying out our process, what we claim is 1. The combination, With astill located in a closed chamber and completely surrounded by air, ofmeans to heat the air of said clanber, suhstantially as set forth.

2. The conbination, with a still supported in a closed ehanber so as tobe entirely surrounded by air, and means to sustain the air in thechamher at auniforn temperature of desired degree, of a furnace arrangedto heat the air of the said chamber,the calorie-current being entirelyexcluded thcret'rom, suhstantially as set forth.

3. The eonibination, with a structure embodying an upper and a lowerchamher, communicating with each other through flues or passages, whichConvey leated air to the npper and return it cooled to the lowerehanher, of a still located in the upper chanher and supported thereinso as to be entirely surrounded by air, and a furnace located in thelower chamber, and means for excluding the calorie-current thereof fromthe upper chamber, substantially as set forth.

ln testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specifieation inthe presence ot' two subscrihing witnesses.

ROLLIN C. CLARK. WILLIAM F. BEEOHER. Wi tnesses JNO. GROWELL, Jr.,ALBERT E. LYNCH.

